God's Coaching #151

God's Coaching #151

The mayor of Clarkston, Georgia, said no more soccer playing was allowed in the park. That was a problem for the Fugees Family soccer club, who had no other place to practice in 2006. The club is made up of refugees, and the team name is a short form of the word refugees. The boys’ families had been relocated to the small Atlanta suburb from 24 troubled countries all over the world, mostly Africa. But the residents of Clarkston didn’t exactly want them there.

Soccer was all the Fugees had. Their coach made them follow strict rules to stay on the team. Soccer kept many of the boys out of gangs or off drugs. Many of them struggled in school because they didn’t know any English, but they had to make good grades to be a Fugee. Some of the players’ fathers were still political prisoners in their home countries. Some had seen parents executed or had been forced themselves to fight in wars before they came to the United States. They were safer in their new home, but they were poor. Coach Luma Mufleh, a Jordanian-American woman who started the club, appealed to the city council to allow the Fugees to play in the park grass. The mayor agreed to let the Fugees play there for six months, but two months later the mayor said they couldn’t. When Coach Luma questioned him, he said they could use the field for another three months. Coach Luma was forced to find the Fugees a new, permanent practice field. Nothing came easily for the Fugees.

What’s the Score?

God cares a lot about refugees and immigrants. He told his people, “You must not oppress foreigners. You know what it’s like to be a foreigner, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 23:9). The same still applies to us.

Did you do anything to be born in America? No, it’s only by God’s grace that we were born in a peaceful, free nation with lots of material blessings. On the flip side, poor immigrants had no say about their home countries. They were simply born in a part of the world filled with war and poverty. Many who arrived in the United States and Canada came with little except their clothes, and they face an uphill battle to earn a living. We are called to help.

On the Ball

Look around your community for refugees in need. You can start a campaign at school or at church to help meet their needs. Even soccer gear can make a big difference.

Coach’s Comment

You must not oppress foreigners. You know what it’s like to be a foreigner, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. Exodus 23:9